The present invention relates to a record cleaner. More particularly this invention concerns a turntable attachment which sweeps dust from the grooves of a record and discharges any static-electricity charge on the record.
An automatic record cleaner is known, such as sold under the trademark "Groovee" of the assignee of this application, which can be mounted on a turntable adjacent the platter thereof so as to automatically sweep the surface of a record being rotated by the turntable platter as it is played. The device basically comprises a support about which an arm is pivotal about an upright axis with limited rocking ability. The outer end of this arm has a head provided with a sweep brush and a velvet cleaning roller that engage the grooves of a record to be swept. As the record rotates the device automatically tracks the grooves and swings inwardly so as to clean the surface of the record ahead of the pickup stylus. Such an arrangement functions admirably for sweeping dust from the grooves of a record, but all alone does not discharge any static-electric charge on the record being cleaned.
It has been suggested to provide some means on such a device for discharging any static-electric charge on the record ahead of the pickup stylus, so as to eliminate static charges that would cause dust to adhere to the record and create spurious noise. Attempts at providing such an arrangement have, however, resulted in a considerable increase in production costs of the record cleaner, and have often impaired the operation of the record cleaner by necessitating a wire extending past the pivot to ground. Furthermore such arrangements make it difficult to lift off the cleaning arm of such a record cleaner for cleaning or replacement of the brush and/or roller thereof.